Felt boot



(No Model.)

D. F. MESSER.

FELT BOOT. No. 357,153. Patented Feb. 1.1887,

WITNESSES:

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ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL F. MESSEB, OF KENNEBUNK, MAINE.

FELT BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,153, dated February 1, 1887.

Application filed July 9, 1886. Serial No. 207 1621. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. MESSER, of Kennebunk, in the county of York and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to a boot or shoe adapted for use as a substitute for the ordinary felt boot or shoe.

In a boot composed entirelyof .felt the foot portion when wet has a tendency to crack, owing to its lack of elasticity. To avoid this difficulty, boots or stockings in which the foot and leg portions are entirely composed of knit fabrics have been produced; but an objection was found to this construction, which was that when the boot became Wet in usethe leg portion would sag or roll, causing the wearer much discomfort and impairing the value of the boot or stocking.

The object of this invention is to avoid both the difficulties or objections referred to and to provide a boot which possesses sufficient strength and elasticity in its foot portion to avoid cracking and sufficient rigidity in its leg portion to avoid sagging or rolling.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of thisimproved boot. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale of a portion of the leg and foot, illustrating the joint between said parts.

The leg portion 5 of this improved boot or shoe is composed of felt and constructed in the ordinary manner of making felt boots or shoes, and the foot port-ion 6 is composed of a knit fabric which is produced on a knittingmachine or in any'well-known manner of producing knit goods. The upper edge of the knit foot portion is secured to the lower edge of the felt leg portion by sewing or knitting the parts together at or near the ankle, preferably in the form of a scarfjoint, or in any other suitable manner. The parts so united are then subjected to the fulling operation or-- dinarily employed in fulling felt bolts. The knit foot portion 6 is elastic and yields readily to the movements of the foot, whether in a dry or wet state, and the felted leg portion 5 possesses sufficient rigidity to maintain an upright position when in use, either in dry or Wet weather.

I claim as my invention- A boot or shoe whereof the foot portion is composed solely of an elastic knit fabric and 

